As He Bears Arms At the Doors of Death
by Omorfia Giappon
Summary: The ledge was starting to crumble. "Annabeth," he strained, "Remember, I love you. Please... jump." He used all of his remaining strength to throw Annabeth up into the air. "Nico!" He shouted. Thankfully Nico understood. ' As Nico grabbed her hands, Percy sighed in relief. At least she's safe... were Percy's last thoughts as the darkness of Tartarus consumed him.
1. Seven Half Bloods Shall Answer the Call

Hey guys! Miss me? Probably not, because you don't even know me. I had a previous account on here, but it has been discontinued, and this one will primarily be focused on _PJO _and _Heroes of Olympus._Enjoy the first chapter/ Preview!

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Title: As He Bears Arms At the Doors of Death

Pairings: Undecided

Summary: _Percy hoisted Annabeth up and over his shoulders. The ledge was starting to crumble. "Annabeth," he strained, "Remember, I love you. Please... jump." He used all of his remaining strength to throw Annabeth up into the air. "Nico!" He shouted. Thankfully Nico understood. ' _As Nico grabbed her hands, Percy sighed in relief. At least she's safe..._ were Percy's last thoughts as the darkness of Tartarus consumed him._

Chapter 1: Seven Half Bloods Shall Answer the Call

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**Percy**

There was no time. Annabeth was, as much as Percy loved her, heavy. The floor was gone, and Riptide had yet to appear in his pocket. Even if he had wanted to reach for his trusty pen, there was no way he was going to let his Wise Girl fall. Vaguely, he heard Nico and Hazel calling for help. Maybe he had fnally cracked, or he was just going temporarily weepy because of the emotional strain he had been forced through, but he felt relief at the fact that maybe, they could be saved.

Another crack from the rocks. Not a moment too soon, he felt a familiar weight return to his pocket. "Annabeth, take Riptide from my pocket." Not bothering to reply, the blond reached up as far as she could. Percy helped out by lifting her up some. "Now, cut the webs from your legs." Her face winced from the pain. Percy felt a pang in his chest. A few moments, then... "Done!" Annabeth cried. Percy hoisted Annabeth up and over his shoulders. The ledge was starting to crumble. "Annabeth," he strained, "Remember, I love you. Please... jump." He used all of his remaining strength to throw Annabeth up into the air. "Nico!" He shouted. Thankfully Nico understood. ' As Nico grabbed her hands, Percy sighed in relief. _At least she's safe..._ were Percy's last thoughts as the darkness of Tartarus consumed him.

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**Nico**

Nico barely registered the pain in his arms, the weight of Annabeth, or Hazel, Frank, and Jason rushing to his side to aid in bringing Annabeth up and out of the pit. All he could see was the last image of Percy's smiling, exhausted, and defeated face as he fell limply into the Hell that he himself had just escaped from.

"Nico!" Shouted Hazel from somewhere to his right. He vaguely remembered being dragged away from the pit, just as Piper and Annabeth shouted "NO!" The pit collapsed in on itself. _Percy, Percy... _Percy. No, "PERCY!" The young Italian yelled at the top of his sore lungs. He scrambled back to the pit, just as the other four were. The began digging frantically, but... "It's too late," Hazel sobbed. There's nothing we can do." Nico wiped the tears he hadn't even noticed from his face. "No," he croaked.

"The other side. We have to meet him at the other side." "The other side of what?" Frank sniffed. The pale boy sighed. He didn't meet any of the others' eyes. "The Doors." He mumbled. "There are two sides of the Doors of Death. I'm sure Percy – " his voice cracked, "I'm sure P-Percy will meet us at the side in Tartarus." They all stared at him, waiting for him to reassure them. Well, he couldn't guarantee that, but... he would try. Nico twisted his silver skull ring. "Percy is the most powerful demigod I've ever met. No offense to you guys, but it's true. If anybody can survive, he will, especially if he knows Annabeth is safe. He's going to find a way through Tartarus." This seemed to cheer them up some, but Nico hid his face. How could he try and comfort others when he couldn't even be confident in his own words?

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**Percy**

The Son of Poseidon crashed to the surface of the deepest place in existence. The irony wasn't lost on him. He tried to get up on his own legs, but he couldn't. Ha, his ankle. Of course, he had to break his ankle, just as Annabeth had. As if he needed anything else to remind him of his loss. _She's safe,_ he kept telling himself. _She's safe..._

Only... he wasn't.

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**How was it? I'm not exactly a first-timer author, but this is my first (of many) Percy Jackson story! Remember, this is a short first chapter, because it's also a preview. If you want me to continue, I ask that I receive many reviews! My writing (and pride) needs it! I'll see you next time, and depending on the response, I'll set up my updating schedule, and give it to you!**


	2. To Storm or Fire the World Must Fall

**Hey guys! Long time no see (because of procrastination.)Anyways, I don't own, don't sue, and enjoy:)**

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Percy groaned as he took another tentative step forward. Ever since falling down into Tartarus, his body hadn't been functioning properly. First, it had been the twitching in his arm. Then, it had been the setting off of his allergies, for no apparent reason. It felt like he had been sneezing every four seconds. Finally, his leg gave way, and refused to move normally afterward. As a result, and it might have just been Percy's imagination, but it just felt like everything down here had been specifically designed to cause pain! Seriously, it kind of gave him an idea of what Annabeth would design for a torture chamber, with extra fear and horror, not to mention excruciating agony, on the side.

The son of the sea god mentally berated himself. _Stupid,_ his inner voice was telling him, _thinking about her right now will only make you become depressed, and that isn't what you need right now. Pull yourself together._ As much as Percy disliked following the instructions from his conscience in general, he knew that these thoughts were correct. If he was going to survive long enough in order to meet the others on the opposite sides of the doors, he was going to need to be in top condition!

Limping down the small and mostly nonexistent pathway, Percy started talking to himself, which was perfectly normal in these types of situations. "If only I had grabbed a piece of wood, and maybe some duct tape, then I could get myself a splint to fix my stupid leg, and I'd be set! But no, I had to be a moron _again_, and grab the Silly String. Of course, I could have asked for a flame thrower or something from Leo's tool belt, but naturally I thought of one of the least threatening weapons of all time. I mean, seriously? Silly String?" A moment later, the sixteen year old smiled to himself. Talking aloud was comforting, somehow. It made this mess of a place seem less threatening, less "real".

However, with the sound of crunching gravel, his smile disappeared nearly as soon as it came. "I smell something..." came the hissing voice. "Oh, would you just, like, shut up? We're in Tartarus, I'd be surprised if you _didn't_ smell anything. This place totally reeks!" When the faint came of bronze accompanied the horrible grammar, Percy's blood ran cold, and he was overcome with a chill. _Empousai! _He thought frantically. "No! Not that kind of smell. It smells like, demigod. A powerful one." "Demigod?" Percy knew that voice. There was no movement. "Yes, I smell it too. I know that smell." Percy caught his breath when Kelli's voice became louder, and nearer. "I would be a _blacst_ if I couldn't remember this smell. In fact, I believe that the cute little demigod reek belongs to..." Percy shuffled as quietly as he could to the shore of the glass shards, when a new presence showed up. His body tense, he swiveled around, but there was no one behind him. At least until he turned back around to meet the African-American monster cheerleader. "...Percy Jackson." she purred. "How long has it been? Time is hard in Tartarus, but I would wager three, four years?" "Three," The black-haired boy muttered. "Hmm," he smiled. "Well Jackson, age has certainly been favorable to you. You don't even have the baby face I seem to remember." Percy flushed with anger. Since when did he have a baby face! Sure, he wasn't the fanciest kid in New York, but he was pretty sure he had never had baby fat. "Yeah, well, we all tend to romanticize the past." "Indeed." _Keep her talking_, his conscience seemed to say. _Move towards the cliff_. Seriously? Well, there didn't seem to be another option. His conscience was weirdly mature today.

"So, Kelli," he began, "Still cheerleading?" She hissed. "Ignorant fool. That was obviously just a front." "Really? The role suited you so well, though, I would have thought that you would have continued in that field." Kelli brightened up. "I did, didn't I? Yes, Of course my natural beauty far surpassed those upstart mortals, and I just seemed to naturally become one with the pompoms..." It was hard for Percy to keep a straight face after that. One with the pompoms? Percy's foot met the edge of the cliff. It was now or never, and the head _empousai _was still talking.

"...but no matter. I have been ordered to take you 'prisoner' by the earth mother. While it was nice to see you again, I'm afraid it will be our last rendezvous. Good bye Perseus Jackson." As Kelli lunged forward, claws extended, Percy jumped backwards off of the cliff. Free falling down at a ridiculous height for the second time today, he lost consciousness as he heard an _empousai_'s wail in the distance.

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When the son of the Sea God came to, there was a bright light in front of his face, which formed a vaguely human shape. Standing up, he looked as the light gestured behind him. Facing the opposite direction was a huge river, which seemed to be made entirely of fire. _The river Phlegon_, a voice came from his head. Quickly spinning around, Percy looked at the glow. "Was that your voice?" he asked it. The glow nodded, or at least moved his head. _Yeah Percy, that was my voice._ "Wait, how do you know my name?" _Seriously? I'd be surprised if there was anyone down here who _didn't _know your nam__e, but that isn't the case for me. I knew you Percy, pretty well in fact. __I'll just leave it there for now, however._ "Wow, cliffhanger much?" He muttered sarcastically. Mr. Sir Glows-alot chuckled. _Guess so,_ he said.

All of a sudden, the sky seemed to turn darker, if possible. Looking up, there was a huge swarm of what appeared to be large bats. They resembled the furies, only these things were a thousand times less aesthetically pleasing. Their faces were a combination of fur, snout, drool, and who knows what else. "Hey, Glowy, get out of here! I'm pretty sure these things aren't friendly. Whatever they are – " _Arai, _said Glowy calmly. _The spirits of curses. It's not me who has to worry Percy, it's you. I'm pretty sure that you've had quite a few curses placed upon you in the last few years of your life_. _If it were me, I would jump into the river of fire, the _Phlegon_, as soon as possible. _

It was two late for that. Everything was chaos, crazy ugly bat-ladies were flying every which way, and Percy began hacking and slashing everywhere he saw a dark flying shape, which was a lot of places. _I wouldn't do that if I were you._ "Yeah? Well, if you were me, what would you do instead?" Glowy said , finally, he spoke. _Well, for starters, I wouldn't kill the one that you just cut in half._ Nice timing.

I WISH THAT SOMEDAY, YOU WILL HATE THE GODS A THOUSAND TIMES MORE THAT I EVER DID, PERCY.

The voice, the same voice as the glowing figure, that same, now oddly familiar voice, rang in his head. A few yards away, Glowy backed into the river of fire, and became solidified. A shockingly familiar face smiled at Percy from his new figure. "Hey, Perce," said the voice, as he slowly walked towards the shivering demigod. "Miss me?"

There was a flash of blond, and then everything became a blur.

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Back on the Argo two, Nico finished making an Iris Message to someone big, silver, wielding a broom, and sporting a janitor's suit.

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**So? Questions? Reviews? Smart remarks? Well, anyways, give me your guesses;) Please review! They make my world go round! Again, sorry about the late chapter, but stuff happens. I'll try to update every Saturday. Until next time!**


	3. An Oath to Keep With Final Breath

**I'm alive! Before anything, please check out the site .com . If you look at the site, you'll find me! Apparently one of my readers created this site, and whoever you are, (thank you for asking for my permission first of all) I am very flattered! Thank you! Anyways, all of that aside, enjoy the next chapter of AHBAatDoD! (I need to find a better acronym...)**

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Percy's anatomy felt all messed up. The beat of his heart felt like it was right next to his brain, a drumbeat disrupting all of his thoughts. He couldn't sense anything, and everything the demigod saw was all a blur. He was only aware of the earth underneath his feet that he had unsteadily trekked on for the past several hours, for the past endless miles., and the being next to him holding him steady. Had he been in his correct state of mind, he would've been able to identify him, but so far, all that he knew was the color red. The red blood lust of the pit, the red he was seeing, and the ill intent stemming from his own consciousness.

"Percy," said the being that Percy had once known to be a mere glow, and who was now a solid figure. "We're at the Doors, can't you feel it? The fury of the millions of monsters, and the awe that they feel when they see the Doors at last? It's our turn, Percy, as we achieve what should have been done years ago." The words were like a magic spell, immersing him further into the dreamlike state.

Suddenly, a white hot fury gripped Percy's very core. His lungs, they were being squished without mercy, his heart felt like it was pumping tar rather than blood, and his usually kind thoughts, once filled with hope, were now being buried by the hate of his surroundings. Percy gasped, struggling for air. The person next to him chuckled. "Looks like it's starting. Now you can understand the pain I've been through this past year."

Trying his hardest to see through the haze, the son f the sea god stood steadily through sheer willpower. "Who... w-who are you?" Percy coughed. The figure's demeanor changed. "Do you really not recognize me yet? After all that we've been through together? I'm disappointed. Well, _que sera sera_. Let me help you then..." A sharp pain bubbled up through Percy, and his vision quickly cleared. Squinting, Percy looked at the now familiar face, and he gasped. The long scar, running down the side of his face, and the blue eyes, clouded with a manic rage, stared back at him. His first friend in Camp Half Blood, and the traitor who didn't hesitate to turn his back on the people who trusted him. "Luke." The man smiled. "But, I thought that you had achieved Elysium, why are you down here?!" The man snarled. "A part of me did achieve Elysium, Perce. However, I'm afraid that the judges couldn't overlook all of my deeds. A part of my soul is indeed somewhere up there, partying away, but the rest of me is stuck down here, waiting for the moment when I can once again try to fix the world. Now, here's my chance." The younger demigod tried to bolt away, but his feet were practically bolted to the ground. Frantically, he clawed at the surrounding dirt, anything near him, but to no avail. The blur was coming back, and it was only a matter of time before he lost himself.

A rumbling shook the ground, and a silver light flashed from above. For the second time in forty-eight hours, Percy fell half-asleep. The breath was stolen from his already weak lungs, and space bent every which way. Then, it stopped. Percy's eyes cracked open, and he saw a welcome face.

"Bob," he croaked. "Percy, I'm helping you." the Titan rumbled. He set Percy down. Looking around, Percy saw that everything was still. Each and every monster was a statue, mouths still open in a frozen snarl. Bob had frozen everything within a square-mile radius, and then shadow traveled to right in front of the doors. This had saved the pair some time, but even now, the many monsters which had exceeded the magic's radius were quickly navigating their way through the maze of their comrades. Bob pushed the Doors of Death's button, and they slid open. He gently pushed the weak demigod inside. "Bob," Percy rasped, "why are you helping me?" "Bob is helping Percy being we are friends. Nico said so." With that, the elevator doors closed with a "ding!"

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"Percy!" "Percy?!" "Perce!" "Percy!" "PERCEUS JACKSON!" When the doors opened, he was faced with seven demigods, some of them tearful, and one of them was a very, very angry Annabeth. She assaulted him violently, first attacking with a bone-crushing hug, and then nearly killing him with a barrage of chaste kissing. "I'm so happy you're safe!" She sobbed. Percy tried to console her, but he couldn't even lift his head, much less hug her back. "He needs medical help." Came a cool voice from the back. Nico stepped forward and slung an arm around Percy's waist, helping him up. They started to walk back to the _Argo II_, when another arm lifted him up on the other side. It was Jason, more serious than normal.

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After making it onto the deck of the ship, they watched as the entrance of the House of Hades crumbled, as smooth as the surrounding floor. Percy was laid down on the closest bed, and fell unconscious almost immediately.

When he woke up, he found Nico hovering beside him. When the younger boy found that he had been discovered, he tried to dart away, but the senior demigod caught a hold of his arm in a weak grip. "You saved me, Nico," Percy said softly. "Thank you." Nico's face was turned away, but Percy could tell that it was red, though he wasn't sure as to why. The Ghost King cleared his throat, but then shakily said, "You've saved my countless times, Percy. I was only returning a favor." The pale boy then left the room, confusing Percy even more.

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**I know that these past few chapters have seemed rushed, but I'll have you know, this is not the story you've been expecting! This is merely the prologue! See you soon:)**

**Ps. I am also looking for a beta. If anyone is interested, let me know!**


	4. As foes bear arms at the Doors of Death

**Sorry for the wait! It took a while to get back on here, considering that there's only two more weeks left of school, and a lot of homework piling up. Anyways, I changed my pen name to Omorfia Giappon, so don't be confused! Anyways, the website .com has been finished! Go check it out, support the authors! Again, sorry for the wait on the chapter. Enjoy!**

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The waves crashed against the hull of the _Argo II_, allowing Percy to listen peacefully to their lulling sound. For the past several days following his rescue, Luke had been following him constantly. No one else on the ship could see him, even though Luke appeared to be very, very solid. It was starting to become annoying as well, because every time he showed up, a buzz of angry voices filled his mind, and he couldn't concentrate. A few times, during these moments, he had accidentally doused the entire ship with a giant wave, and was forced to listen to Leo's lecture about how some machinery wasn't meant to be mixed with water. Another time, he stabbed riptide through the bottom of the pegusai loft while they were sailing through the Mediterranean, which left Percy spending several hours guiding the "flow" of water out of the bottom of the boat, to prevent sinking. Needless to say, these voices were becoming a problem.

"C'mon Perce, they'd go away if you just release them. Just let them out; you'll feel so much better afterward." Percy decided to ignore him. He had a feeling that if he did indeed let the voices out, then something terrible would happen. Luke grabbed Percy by the hair, and forced the demigod to look at him, when he received silence. Luke's normally handsome face was distorted into a snarl. "Listen Percy, I'm running out of patience, and you're running out of time. If you don't let the power inside of you out, then I will _make _you. I assure you, that way will be much less comfortable.

Again, Percy stubbornly kept his mouth shut, and Luke angrily released his hair. "Have it your way then." With a wave of cold air, he was gone. Percy shivered, but then resumed his thinking. Suddenly, a new wave of cold appeared before him. Nico. "Come on, it's time to eat."

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Down in the dining cabin, the group of eight were having tacos for the third night in a row. Percy wasn't complaining or anything, because they were tacos, but he was beginning to crave pizza.

The atmosphere was sullen, tense. It wasn't exactly like Percy was expecting a partyish mood, but if anything, he had been expecting a conversation. He couldn't help but notice the way that Annabeth and Nico were glaring at each other as the pair made their way down. Jason cleared his throat, obviously seeing it too, and the attention fell to him while Percy sat at the opposite end of the table. "I've been thinking," he started, "that we need to discuss the meaning of the prophecy. Piper has pointed out a few interesting things, and I would like to have all of your imput." he paused waiting for any interruption, but there wasn't any. "_Seven Half-Bloods shall answer the call_, we've got that pretty much covered. However, there's a small part in _to storm or fire the world must fall_ where the meaning is debatable. Piper, do you want to take it from here?" Piper smiled and nodded. "Okay, well, I thought of this line from a slightly different angle. For now, we'll put the storm and fire part aside, and focus on what the "world" is. What if instead of the literal world, maybe the prophecy was referring to Gaea?" There was a sudden change in the atmosphere at the table, and nearly everyone leaned forward, interested in this development.

Annabeth spoke up. "Say that this was the case, we have no idea what will fall when Gaea falls. She herself is the earth, and obviously, this entails a lot if she really is does disappear. With that on the table, I think that this is where the storm and fire come in." Frank opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it, feeling everyone's eyes on him. He had been acting more self-conscious since his recent transformation, and was less willing to speak out. Nonetheless, Annabeth gestured for him to continue. He cleared his throat as well. "Um, well, what if the _way _that Gaea falls, namely storm or fire, plays a direct role in that? I have a feeling that yes, either way, there will be a plethora of destruction, but one option will be the better course of action."

Next was Leo's turn. "Hey, if I really am the fire part of the equation, then I'm not exactly positive how that will turn out. Being flaming is what I do." his cheeks grew red and there was an awkward silence. "Hey, I didn't mean it like that, be mature. Anyways, I've seen Jason in action with his storm powers and all that, and he's nothing to scoff at. But, there's also Percy here, who I've heard has some pretty big storms of his own." "Agreed, namely blowing up the majority of his schools, single handedly causing the explosion of Mount Saint Helens a few years back – " "That was _you_?!" " - not to mention the hurricanes, yeah, Percy has gotten more than a few storms up his sleeve." grumbled Nico. No body disagreed. "But that brings me back to another point," continued Annabeth. "What if the storm mentioned isn't even a physical storm?" Everyone there was silent for a while.

Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in the back of Percy's head, and his vision went blurry. The others were talking again, but every noise felt like it was being muffled by a pillow. Next to him, Nico muttered, "Hey, are you alright?" but he wasn't able to reply. The angry voices were back. Then, his body felt like it was being filled with steel, as an unknown force took over him, and forced him to stand up. The talking stopped immediately. "Percy, what's wrong?" asked Jason. "Who knows?" Percy's mouth said, but it wasn't Percy's voice that was heard. Annabeth gasped, and stood up quickly, backing away. "Wait, L-Luke, is that – " "In the flesh." All of the others looked confused. "Hey, who's Luke?" piped up Leo. Annabeth shrunk away, and her voice was quiet. "Luke was..." but she couldn't finish. "I'll help you out," came Luke's voice from Percy again. He looked directly at Jason. "I'm the guy who brought back Kronos, and nearly destroyed the entirety of western civilization., to start. I'm also the guy who will be taking this body, and leaving you guys be, so don't worry or anything."

The rest of the seven (and Nico) quickly stood, drawing their weapons. Jason stood the tallest, and looked "Luke" straight in the eye. "Look, I don't know who you are, are what you're doing with Percy's body, but you're no match for me, or anyone in this room, so leave." Luke's smirk grew wider. "Really? How can you be so sure about that, when you can't even beat Percy himself yet?" Jason scoffed. "Percy is ten times more powerful than you, and at least I can match him." Luke grinned, and strolled over to where Jason stood, moving across the top of the table.

"Is that right? He's ten times more powerful than me? Well, that may be true, but let me clue you in on something." Jason tensed as Luke drew riptide. "I'm the one who taught Percy everything he knows about being a half blood. I was his first friend at Camp Half Blood! I know more things about Percy than any of you here!" He looked over at Annabeth. "Even more than you, little sister." Annabeth stood up straight. "Luke, you also died his first friend in Camp Half Blood. What happened to you? I thought that we had resolved this in Olympus." The son of Hermes frowned. "Once a hater of the gods, always a hater of the gods. You want to know why I'm here? Ask your friend Hazel, or even this freak over here," he said, pointing at Nico, who flinched. With those parting words, he disappeared once again, leaving seven young demigods stupefied.

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**Yeah, I'm a jerk. Woo! Hey, I need a beta ASAP. Let me know if any of you guys are interested! And please, _please_ leave reviews, and make them worth something! I want to know how I'm doing on my story! Let me know what you want to see, and tell me where I can improve! Until next time!**


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